My finished eye !

It was a lovely Stitch Club workshop by
Elizabeth Griffiths

Our task was to do the stitches only
in one (vertical) direction !
That wasn't really easy.
On top of that one had to find out what part of the photo
was lighter or darker than the other part
and thus choose a fitting colour

Sticking to "natural" colours wasn't necessary,
but I did.
(which didn't mean that was easier, hahaha !)

In the end, stitching to ONE direction of stitch
proved to give a beautiful result.

keeping an eye ...

Sue Stone is an English textile artist

who makes stitched portraits.

Her sons made a special Textile Art site

where they give a stage to their mum

and other textile artists from all over the world.

In these strange times they initiated on FB

a "stitch challenge"

with every week another artist

to teach a tiny online workshop

about their own way with textiles,

starting with Sue Stone of course.

Next was Cas Holmes

and on April 6 Emily Tull

who explained how tho stitch an eye.

I was still busy stitching the piece for my friend

so I saw that video later in the week

....

and it very much appealed to me ! 

One piece finished ... ready to start something new !

For one I start with the end result

But it all started with

1. a photo

(hmmmmm ... hate making selfies : they look bad

and strangely askew most of the time)

2. a sketch (with pencil)

3. tracing the drawing in pen

and 4. the drawing (again in pen) on cloth
(an piece of linen from old trousers)

Hmmmm four "me's"

So not one eye
but both eyes ánd glasses

A collection of blues and grays and skin colours

Five slightly different  reds for my glasses

Starting the second eye.
I had some times five needles in my work
each with a different strand (or two)
embroidery floss



While working on this there were two more challenges :
by Richard McVetis and Emily Jo Gibbs

(so more to stitch !)

1 - 1 - 15 .... new beginnings ...

I started on new things but cannot show them yet,
so first an "old" one :

this little cat-friend Betsy

arrived safely in her new home yesterday

(so here she is, all of her)

She started like a rather regular nine-patch

(just like Jude's "strays" ...)

and 

next to it, the finished bit, turned over.

(I started stitching the face and then decided to add another thin cloth layer)

I mounted the finished quiltlet on a little 15 x 15cm canvas

before I send it away.

And, with a brand new year starting there is time 

for some more stitching and felting too

I wish everyone 

lots and lots of good things in this year 2015 !

I know, there will be not-so-good and maybe even a few bad things this year ...

because that's the way how life goes,

But I do hope the good things massively outnumber the not-so-good ones !

Good luck everybody

Let's make it a good year

last one

This will be this year's last post

and I want to share

another bit of colour 

in these cold winter days.

(Snow over here, but it's melting away already)

A little kiss and all the best for you

dear blogging friends.

Thank you 

for making it a pleasure to go to blog-land.

Bits and pieces of colour 

to make a new little quiltlet

(but can't show you all of it yet)

These were some things I sewed before Xmas.

I made lots of this kind of stuff when I still worked

as a school teacher with the pre-schoolers.

It was such fun to do it again

An apple pie and a pizza

for a little cook as a Xmas present.

After the presents were unpacked,

we had our "gourmet" dinner together.

And then he baked and served us some pizza as dessert.

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR  !

day 8

This Wednesday it is our mandala group night

but here is first today's 

Pink Ribbon mandala.

Number eight 

"I see you "

Karisma colour pencils on fine water colour paper  (A5)

the mandala is  12cm  (5") in diameter

If you would like to have this original artwork

or give it to a friend

please send me an email at fiberrainbow@gmail.com

it costs you  € 8, - (+ postage)

Keep looking after each other  ;-)

(see you tomorrow) 

continuing boro

Still a bit weak, but I'm back !

Flu is such a silly illness 

(most of the time)

but it can knock you right of your socks

Now it's over, so : 

time to continue Boro

Ha, só many pieces have already been replaced,

which was to be expected, of course !

But the pieces at the bottom of the back I was sure about 

are now being "glued" to the fabric of the jacket

(noooo,  no real glue of course, but Jude's "glue-stitch" )

Raw edge or needle-turned, just as it goes

and then other stitches follow ...

Mmmmm, I love how the "pattern continues" 

from one piece of fabric to the next

The shibori : I purchaged from Glennis Dolce, 

who brought it with her from Japan,

(ouch ..... and I cut right into it ...)

the piece that it connects is from an old cushion cover 

I already cut into before :  for this

The eyes I found in the "Blaudruck" fabric are finished now 

and there will be a bit of colour in the flowers

Even a lot more colour on the top ánd the front of the jacket

(is my plan)

back at last !

I'm back on the internet at last

I must tell you :

it was quiet, but it wasn't fun !

The computer went to the repair man

and had to be cleaned

of 4 viruses

And now all programs are júst a bit different

( that is not funny either !!! )

 So now I 've a lot of catching up to do,

but for this first day I'm giving some

"background information"

literally, I mean

This is my felt / fabric piece of last month

( I showed already a few bits and pieces )

To achieve the same thickness everywhere

I cut out the piece of the batting where the felt is,

then I put a very thin cotton layer to keep all things together.

I don't mind that in the end

you see all the stitches I made

I don't want to hide them under another backing fabric.

Because this piece is about the night sky

with stars and the moon

I suddenly thought it needed something else

like ....

"a black hole"

so I really made a neat hole !

 Although it finally became a "red dwarf"

( because on a white wall any hole becomes a "white" hole )

and please don't ask me the astrnomical explanation !

I found some funny bits that I altered with stitches

and added

lots and lots and lots

of tiny stars

......